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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hybrid Au/CdS and Au/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoparticles
Published on: March 2, 2016
Copper doped hybrid 2D ZnO-stearic acid nanocomposite studied by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy
Claudio José Magon1, José Pedro Donoso Gonzalez1, Hellmut Eckert1
1Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, CEP 13566-590 São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Abstract:
The coordination environments of Cu2+ in a copper-doped 2D ZnO-stearic acid (SA) nanocomposite were investigated by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The material, Zn₀.₉₅Cu₀.₀₅O-(SA)0.13, synthesized following a previously reported procedure, was studied using continuous-wave (CW) EPR at X- and Q-band over the temperature range 30-300 K, together with pulsed EPR at X-band at 15 K. An important part in the analysis of these spectra is the simulation of distributions (strains) of Zeeman- and hyperfine coupling tensor parameters, whose anisotropies are anti-correlated. A significant fraction of the Cu2+ ions is incorporated into the ordered layered structure, where slow thermally activated motions lead to progressive spectral broadening with increasing temperature. These results provide a detailed microscopic picture of the distribution, local symmetry, and dynamics of Cu2+ sites in Zn₀.₉₅Cu₀.₀₅O-(SA)0.13, highlighting the role of structural heterogeneity in shaping their magnetic resonance signatures. Overall, this work develops a general strategy of using paramagnetic probes to investigate structural complexity in similar layered and organic-inorganic materials.
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